A Little Tea for Me

Lately, I have been addicted to Green Tea lattes, which started when I tried one at a Starbucks in Trussville about a month ago. But....at almost four bucks a shot, I figured I needed a cheaper alternative to feed my need! So...I did a search on the internet to find the basic recipe for the Starbucks one, and found people who had a healthier version. Starbucks uses Matcha Green Tea Powder with a LOT of added sugar, so I found out where to get Matcha Unsweetened Powder so you can add your own sweetener to it. Here is a little blip about Matcha Powder from www.teazonline.com:

Matcha is perhaps the most popular green tea on the market today. The first thing you will notice upon opening the packet is that Matcha is a finely powdered green tea and looks like an emerald colored flour. This characteristic truly sets it apart from other teas.

When brewed, the powdered leaf is not strained or left in the pot, but is whisked into a frothy concoction and consumed. Because the leaves themselves are imbibed, brewed Matcha contains higher concentrations of vitamins and antioxidants than most other teas, green, herbal, or otherwise. According to researches done in Japan, brewed Matcha contains nearly 10 times the polyphenols and antioxidants of regular teas, 2 times the antioxidants of a glass of red wine, approximately 9 times the beta-carotene of spinach, and 4 times that of carrots.

Listed below are some of the many health benefits of Matcha green tea.

• Significantly increases energy (over 8 to 10 hours) without the caffeine "jitters".
• Improves mental alertness (L-theanine component)
• Increases calmness and reduces stress (L-theanine component)
• Boosts metabolic rate by 35-40%
• Powerful "Anti-Aging" activity due to the super-charged antioxidants
• Lowers blood pressure
• Decreases level of LDL or "bad"cholesterol
• Minimizes symptoms of PMS
• "Super" cancer-fighting and cancer-preventative activity (due to extremely high levels of polyphenols and catechins)
• Eases constipation due to high level of easily absorbable dietary fiber
• Stabilizes blood sugar levels
• Powerful anti-biotic and anti-viral activity
• Strong blood detoxifier and alkalyzer, due to the high Chlorophyll content

I make my Lattes, using skim milk (Lattes, by the way are the ONLY time I use skim milk!)
powdered Matcha and one packet of Truvia or Splenda Sweetener, but you can use sugar or honey at any desired amount.
I use a milk frother which looks a lot like a coffee press to warm 1 cup of milk for 1:35 seconds in the microwave, then add 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon of Matcha and any sweetener to the frother, then pump it until it doubles in volume. Pour it in a BIG mug and enjoy! You can make an iced latte by using the same ingredients, except adding half a cup of ice in a blender and blend until frothy!

I purchased my Matcha Powder from www.teazonline.com for 8.99 for 4 0z plus shipping which came to around 13.00 for 50 servings. That's about 26 cents per serving! I found sweetened Matcha powder at Whole Foods for 10.99, but for only 10 servings, so I think you are way better off ordering it online!